Picker-stick buffer for looms.



Patented June I8, |90l.

F. A. MILLS.

(Appx'icazion med Mar. 23, 1901.;

PICKER STICK BUFFER FOR LOOMS.

IIIIII (ND Model.)

Immun WIW/eamo NiTn STATES FRANCIS ARTHUR MILLS, OF METHUEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO GROSVENOR B. EMMONS, OF SAME PLACE. l

PICKER-STICK BUFFER FOR LOOlVlS.

SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,658, dated June 18, 1901.

Application filed March 23, 1901. Serial No. 52,467. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, FRANcIsARTHUR MILLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Methuen, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picker-Stick Buffers for Looms, of which the following is a speciiication.

For the picker-stick motion of looms I have produced an improved strap-buffer and torsion-sprin g device for the impact of the pickerstick,whereby to cause a more accurate throw of the shuttle, to regulate the flight of the shuttle, and to prevent the destructive and deranging effects of the picker-stick motion in throwing the shuttle, and the precise improvement will be set out in the claims hereto appended in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 showsin front view a portion of the right end of the race-lay, the strap-buffer device thereon, and part of the picker-stick in the position it occupies after having thrown the shuttle. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, the picker-stick in the position to deliver its impact upon the strap-buffer-in throwing the shuttle. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section looking at the under side of the racelay, showing the strap-buffer and its torsionspring connections with the end of the racelay. Fig. 4 shows an end view of the racelay and its torsion-spring connections for the strap-buffer. Fig. 5 shows, enlarged, the strapbuer and its torsion-spring coiled upon a loosely-mounted hub and having a long arm connecting the strap-buifer. Fig. 6 shows the bearing connection of the torsion-spring arm with the oil-socket of the arm which con-I nects the strap-buer. Fig. 7 shows in horizontal section the doubled strap-buifer and its loose mounting-rolls. Fig. 8 shows the pneumatic-buffer device in section.

The race-lay, its operating connections, and the picker-sticks and mechanism for actuating them for throwing and for receiving the thrown shuttle being well known in the art, it is deemed unnecessary to either show or to describe such mechanism or to particularly set out the necessity for giving the shuttle a true throw, as it is Well known that the breaking of the cops and many other troubles result from the great force of the blows of the picker-stick in throwing the shuttle and receiving it.

Depending from the under side of the race- 5 5 lay l and on each side of the slot 2 therein in which the picker-stick 3 moves are a pair of spools 4, mounted to turn freely on fixed .studs 5 5, one directly opposite the other.

On these spools is mounted the buffer-strap 6 6o in a doubled form, one layer upon the other, with the doubled ends forming loops 7 7 extending from the spools parallel to each other toward the end of the race-lay, so that the strap crosses the path of the picker-stick, the

impact of which in throwing the shuttle is delivered upon the strap between the spools, and thereby drives it away from the spools. In receiving the blow of the picker-stick the impact side of the strap-is supported by the 7o outer layer, while the looped ends of the strap are separately connected to an adjusting device on each side of the lay. A yoke 8 connects by a bolt 9 each looped end of the doubled strap, and a rod 10 mediately extend- 75 these hubs or rolls is coiled a spring l5, one

end of which engages a lug 16 on the plate 12, while the other end of the coil terminates in an arm 17, which depends from the front side of the coil and engages the outer end of the screw-threaded arm. The impact upon the 9o strap-buffer in forcing the strap inward between its loose mounting-rolls is therebyv caused to pull the looped ends of the strap back, and drawing the yoke-rods back will pull with them the depending ends of the spring-coils, and thereby cause a torsional action of the coils on their hubs or rolls, so that they are caused to rock with the coils on their iiXed studs under each impact blow of the picker-stick upon the strap-buffer. sional action of the springs and the free rolling or rocking of their mounting-hubs gives At each 8o This tor- Ioo the important advantage of a uniform and perfect yielding action of the strap-buffer, which is necessary to its life andthe proper throwing of the shuttle. This torsional action of the spring also better tits' it for the adjustment of its torsional force to suit the requirements in throwing the shuttle with a greater or less tension upon the strap-buifer. This adjustment is made by the yokescrew-rod and the screw-threaded arm and is fixed by the nutlock 18, and by such adjustment the speed of the shuttle is increased or is diminished. A

tightly-stretched strap will give a comparay tively slow speed to the shuttle, while a less tautness of the strap will give a comparatively fast speed to the shuttle, and I find that the mounting of a torsional spring upon a freely-rocking support greatly conduces to satisfactory results in maintaining the effective capacity of the two springs in their conjoint action upon the strap and the action of the latter in yielding under the blow of the picker-stick in the throw of the shuttle.

The bearing of the torsion-spring arm is formed by a terminal bend which enters freely a hole in the arm and abuts against the end of the socket which intersects the hole, as in Fig. 6. The importance of Jthis construction is that the socket will hold the oil and the graphite and cause. the bearing-point of the spring to last a long time. This joint is easy to make and'durable and the spring is set in yplace with only a free bearing connection at each end. The short arm of the spring stands tangentially from the coil with a free bearing against the under side of the lug 16, and it is against this lug that the coil has a torsional resistance under the pulling of the long arm 17 under the impact of the picker-stick upon the strap-buffer.

The torsion-spring is better for throwing the shuttle, because its connection with the strap-buffer is made by a long arm, which is quicker to act than a spiral spring, is more durable and cheaper to make, requires no fastenings, and vcan be quickly applied and removed. 'Ihe mounting of the spring on a loosely-mounted huh gives freedom for the coils and thehub to rock together when the strain is put on the long arm. This looselymounted hub carries and holds the spring, so

that its long and short arms form the acting parts held secnrelyin engagement with their free bearings by the hub.

The rolling of the spools andthe delivering of =the impact of the picker-stick, so as to force A the strap away from the spools, relieves them of `undue strain and prevents wear of the strap at the rolls, while the doubled form of the strap vgives it much greater durability to withstandthe blows of the picker-stick. The v strap-buder is preferably made by a stuffed v bunter 2O,f1xed on the stick, and cushions the blow on the strap.

Provision is made for cushioning the blows of the picker-stick at the end of its flight across the lay by means of a pneumatic rubber. buffer 21, depending from the end of the racelay in the path of the picker-stick. The rubber buifers are suitably secured and sealed in a casing 22, which forms an air-chamber behind the rubber buffer and into which chamber the `rubber is collapsed without resilient effect by the impact of the button-bunter 23 on the picker-staff, and thereby prevents the rebound of the shuttle, the form of the buier and the vent 24 in the bottom of the chamber coacting to produce such result.

Obviously the pair of torsion-springs and their mountings may be used with any suitably-supported strap-buer; but the construction shown is prefer-red.

I claiml. In a loom and in combination with fa picker-stick, and the race-lay, of a buffer device for the inward throw of the picker-stick comprising a suitably-supported strap, a rod connected to each end thereof, a tix-ed stud standing horizbntally from each side of the lay, a hub or roll loose on each stud and .a torsion-spring on each hub or roll havin-gone end"engaging the lay and its other end en'- gaging the said strap-connected rod.

2. In a loom and in combination with a picker-stick and the race-lay,- of a buffer device for the inward throw of the picker-stiel; comprising a suitably-supported strap, a rod connected to each end thereof term-inatingin a screw, a screw-threaded arm engaging said strap-'connected rod, a pair ofstuds vone fix-.ed on each side of the lay, a hub or roll loose i on each stud and a torsion-spring on each huh or roll having one end engaging the lay and its other end depending from said hub and engaging said arm.

3. In a'loom and in combination with a',

picker-stick and the race-lay, a stud fixed to and standing horizontally from each side of the race-lay, a hub or roll loose-on eachstud, a torsion-spring coiled on each hub, having one end connected to the lay, itsother end depending from the side of the hub, a strap mounted to receive the inward throw of the picker-stick, a rod connected to each end of the strap extending toward the end of the lay and terminating in a screw, ascrew-threaded arm engaging the 'screw-rod and the depending end of the torsion-spring,'-and a jam-nut on the rod for locking its connection with-the arm.

4. In a lloom and in combination with a picker-stick and the race-lay, of a buffer de- IOO Vice for the inward throw of the picker-stick Comprising a suitably-supported strap, a rod connected to each end thereof terminating in a screw, a tubular screw-threaded arm having a transverse hole intersecting the bore of the arm and a torsion-sprin g mounted on each side of the race-lay having one end of the coil engaging the lay, its other end depending from the Coil forming an arm terminating in a right-angled end adapted to engage the 1o bore of the arm at its intersecting hole and forni a bearing against the end of the bore.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS ARTHUR MILLS. Vitnesses:

GRosVENoR B. EMMoNs, CHAs. L. BURNHAM. 

